In the present disclosure, where a document, an act and/or an item of knowledge is referred to and/or discussed, whether directly and/or indirectly, then this reference and/or discussion is not an admission that the document, the act and/or the item of knowledge and/or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge and/or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions and/or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
Many buildings contain a dropped ceiling system, which includes a grid supported by the structural ceiling of the building. The grid includes a plurality of cells, which each have a large opening extending vertically therethrough, which is normally spanned by a ceiling tile. The region between the cells and the structural ceiling frequently contains wiring and ductwork. When the dropped ceiling is fully installed, tiles, panels, vents, and light fixtures occupy the cells and conceal the wiring and ductwork.
Sometimes, such as for retrofitting and/or repairs, alterations and/or removal of the wiring and/or the ducts, a person, such as an electrician and/or an heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technician, needs to obtain access to the area between the structural ceiling and the dropped ceiling. The person/worker/user places a ladder below one of the tiles, panels, light fixtures and/or vents, climbs several steps on the ladder to reach the one of the tiles, panels, light fixtures and/or vents and removes it such that the opening of one of the cells is uncovered. To gain a better view and/or the ability to work within the region above the grid, the person then might climb several more steps on the ladder, protruding his or her head and body through the opening, such as to be waist-level with the grid within the one of the openings.
Due to obvious safety concerns, building codes often prohibit exposed high voltage electrical equipment in the area between the structural ceiling and the dropped ceiling. For example, for safety purposes, many jurisdictions prohibit an unexposed wire over 30 volts to be present in the area between the structural ceiling and the dropped ceiling. Despite such prohibitions, however, many building operators are not compliant. Further, high voltage wiring can become exposed due to equipment deterioration, due to moisture and component rusting, and animals, such as mice, rats and/or squirrels. Moreover, such equipment can become exposed due to human error, such as when others inadvertently leave such equipment exposed when accessing the area between the structural ceiling and the dropped ceiling.
Accordingly, while the person is standing on the ladder, such as by being waist-level with the cell and within the one of the openings, the person can come in contact with such equipment, whether directly and/or indirectly. If, during the contact, such equipment is operating, then the person can become a conduit for high voltage electric current, which can lead to the person's injury and/or death. Although some wearable devices have been created to ground persons in such situations, such devices are typically inconvenient to use, bulky to wear, complex to install, limit maneuverability and/or interfere with task performance.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed. The claims may encompass one and/or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.